The Audition Experience

CBC Atrium. I sign in, pick up the CBC-and-producers-are-released-from-any-and every-eventuality Agreement for signing, and get my number. It's #434. #200 is now being served. Sigh. I beeline for couch with just enough breathing room, and get busy releasing. This takes oh maybe 5 minutes. It's the same release as on the Dragon's Den website and I've already read it, sighed over it and realized - if you wanna be in the game, you have to play by the rules. Looking around, intense albeit quiet conversations: a well suited 40'ish woman with a briefcase is in serious discussion with a well-suited 30-ish man who seems to be giving selling tips. On the other side of the couch, on a cell phone is an elegantly dressed man who looks Ethiopian, talking animatedly on a cell-phone in completely unaccented English. The Atrium is awash with hopefuls, considering the acoustics - high high ceiling, lots of granite - it's a quietly murmuring crowd. I repair to the bathroom to check my camouflage. After, I walked past the barrier of desks in front of the audition area. Five producers wait to hear pitches, echoing the Dragon's Den set-up. One by one, pitchers pitch and exit. It finally dawns on me: there. is. no.camera. O-M-G. I am way too overly-made-up...but don't want to risk making a mess removing some of the layers. After 3+ hours: I'm up. After, I head to the bathroom and, to my horror, under my eyes, dissolving make-up has created a trail -- no, more like a constellation -- of black dots. My credibility and confidence equally dissolved I head for the exit. On the way out, Richard, who I was fortunate enough to be pitching to said, "Sounded good. We'll call you if we want you." Oh boy. There's hope. Heading home to wash my face. Verry exciting. Next post, I'll share my audition script.

The Audition

Been writing my audition script. Then, everything changes when I say it out loud (you try it) Incorporating tips from info session: we've perfected a product; we have a track record; we know our audience; we know our potential. Time to figure out what to wear. Yikes. Been a whole lotta years since last I auditioned. I used to know what to wear, how to 'make-up' and how animated to be or not to be. After much on-ing and off-ing of various outfits, hauled out the ancient Hi8 camera, shooed the cat off the bed, pressed record, shooed the cat again and talked into the camera. Rewound, watched, grimaced, and repeated. Finally happy with classic white collared shirt, and red sweater, script almost memorized, I head to the bathroom and shoo the cat away to apply make-up. Once again in front of camera, with cat on lap, shoot, rewind and see where I messed-up on the make-up. I'm exhausted. I head to CBC clutching script, make-up bag, and pick up mega coffee.

I've got it and they want it

I pitched to Richard Maerov: tall good looking, and island of calm in the waves of people wanting to know how to get on Dragon's Den (soon to be launched in US as Shark Tank). Richard looked into a television screen in his brain: "A patient education television network in hospitals... that'd make good TV.. and an established business? Woah. We don't get many of those" .....Yay hurray. Then, to Tracie Tighe, tightly focussed Exec, I answer, You betcha I can audition next week. OMG Total excitement. Am on Audition Script, as soon as I figure out Audition wardrobe.